a concise guide to the Olympics and other sporting events in 2012

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As the euphoria of the Olympic Games fades away, it is now the turn of the Paralympics to take centre stage in London.

And if it’s half as good as the Olympics, we’ll be in for another real sporting treat.

You may not know too much about the Paralympics themselves, but as this is set to be the second biggest sporting event EVER in Britain, here’s a short guide of what to expect over the next couple of weeks!

Athletes will be competing across 20 different sports (21 disciplines as there is track and road cycling), and there are six broad categories in which they take part.

These are wheelchair, amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, visually impaired and Les Autres, for athletes who do not fall into any of those categories, such as dwarfism or multiple sclerosis.

Sports

Archery

Athletics

Boccia

Cycling – Road and Track

Equestrian

Football 5-a-side

Football 7-a-side

Goalball

Judo

Powerlifting

Rowing

Sailing

Shooting

Swimming

Table Tennis

Volleyball

Wheelchair Basketball

Wheelchair Fencing

Wheelchair Rugby

Wheelchair Tennis

Team GB chances?

Team GB are second in the overall table, including an incredible 493 gold medals. Bet your house on them surpassing 500 this time around.

Medals table

USA: 666 gold, 586 silver, 589 bronze.

Great Britain: 493, 470, 463.

Germany: 433, 425, 399.

Best ever?

American Trischa Zorn is the most decorated Paralympian of all time.

55 medals, of which 41 are gold says it all really.

And finally, here’s a couple of videos to get you in the mood…

The Paralympic Games will leave you fascinated, mesmerised, bamboozled and probably exhausted.

They will be very different to anything ever seen on these shores in terms of sporting events. And more than likely, they won’t be back for some time yet.

So relish the moment, and admire these outstanding athletes.

And most of all, enjoy it!

The 2012 Paralympic Games begin on Wednesday, 29 August, and end on Sunday, 9 September.

Floor exercises are performed on a sprung floor – this helps the gymnast’s routine, giving bounce and protection when landing. The exercises last for approximately 90 seconds, and are accompanied with music.

The pommel horse

Only used (or should it be rode) by men, this involves single and double leg work.

Points are deducted for a variety of reasons, including not passing through the handstand position when dismounting, not using all sections of the horse and pausing.

The rings

Like the horse, only used by men, the rings require considerable upper body strength. Exercises consist of swing, strength and hold elements, with the execution of these determining an overall score.

The best of the rest

The vault is tackled by men and women, with speed and technique key to the performance.

Parallel bars are used by men only, and typical routines see a variety of swinging skills.

You’ll be able to see a mixture of multiple twists and flips on the horizontal bar and spins on the uneven bars.

The balance beam brings out the best in the gymnasts, with extremely diffIcUlt moves attempted.

Artistic Gymnastics in London

The North Greenwich Arena (the O2) is hosting the Artistic Gymnastic events.

196 men and women will be competing in 14 different disciplines.

And finally…

Look out for: the tears. Unfortunately, there’s always one gymnast whose routine does not quite turn out as they had hoped. And that’s their Olympic dreams shattered.

Not to be confused with: ballet, and nightclubs. Dancing (ish) and music. Why not?

Useless but informative fact: Japanese gymnast Shun Fujimoto broke his kneecap during his floor routine, but went on to perform on the pommel horse and rings to help his country secure gold at the Montreal Games in 1976.

Artistic Gymnastics in two words: power, poise.

Artistic Gymnastics start on Saturday 28th July and end on Tuesday 7th August.

BACK in 1904 it was called Fancy Diving and the two disciplines were the ‘Fancy High Dive’ and the ‘Plunge for Distance’.

Fast forward to 2012 and diving has come along way since its introduction to the Olympics in St Louis in the early 20th century.

It’s now one of four aquatic sports at the Olympics, alongside swimming, water polo and synchronised swimming.

How it works

A panel of judges grade each diver from one to 10, for the level and performance of each dive. Simple really.

The Superpowers

China dominated diving in Beijing in 2008, while the USA has a formidable Olympic diving record.

The Chinese won seven out of a possible eight golds four years ago, while the Americans have 131 medals in total, including 48 golds.

However, the Chinese are the ones to watch, as they are a relatively new addition to the sport. The country was initially banned from competing due to its government and was only allowed in at the Games in 1984. Since then it has topped all but one of the Olympic diving tables.

Diving in London

Divers will compete from two boards: the 3m springboard and the 10m fixed platform, meaning there will be four events each for men and women.

They are the 3m springboard, 10m platform, 3m synchronised springboard and the 10m synchronised platform.

There are 68 men and 68 women competing in the events.

Synchronised diving is making only its fourth Olympic appearance, having debuted in Sydney in 2000.

Daley’s the real deal

Despite coming home empty-handed from Beijing as a 14-year-old, British sensation Tom Daley has since won two Commonwealth Games gold medals and is currently 10m platform World Champion.

A nation expects.

And finally…

Look out for: a splash in the water. That probably means it’s game over as the idea is to make as little as possible (well, ideally nothing).

Not to be confused with: Premiership football at 3pm on Saturday afternoons.

Useless but informative fact: 180,000 tiles have been used to line the pools in the Aquatics Centre.